Metallic wool pad



y 1941- M. ROSENTHAL 2,242,326

METALLIC WOOL PAD.

Filed .April 28, 1939 2 Shets-Sheet 1 2 Lag/Z h I Q y 1941- M. ROSENTHAL I 2,242,326

METALLIC WOOL PAD Filed April 28, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METALLIC WOOL PAD Morris Rosenthal, Chicago, Ill. Application April 28, 1939, Serial No. 270,600

15 Claims.

This invention relates to a resilient pad and has for an object the provision of an ironing pad which is particularly useful in ironing presses which are in common use in laundries and dry cleaning establishments.

Pads are generally used on ironing presses in order to provide a means for the distribution of uniform pressure over the surface of the press and also to prevent the breaking of buttons and clips on clothes when subjected to the ironing process.

In dry cleaning presses such as are used in pressing suits, etc., steam is forced through the. article to be pressed and the pad to moisten the former. and is then withdrawn by the use of suction means. For this reason it is desirable to employ material in the pad which is not only resilient and nonabsorbent but is noncorrosive as well.

Various types of pads have been suggested in the prior art. Most of them, however, have a tendency to absorb moisture and deteriorate rapidly. Pads constructed from metal wool have been found to be quite useful, particularly in laundry presses, since water is not directly absorbed by the resilient fibrous structure of this type of pad. However, in the construction of pads from metallic wool, it has generally been the practice to stitch the pads with wire or clips in order to hold the pad in proper shape.

It is an object of this invention to provide an ironing pad prepared from metal fabric which will retain its shape without the use of any extraneous binding means.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a readily constructible metal fabric pad having resilient properties useful in ironing presses.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a metal fabric ironing pad that tends to retain its shape and resiliency over a long period of time.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a substantially noncorrosive and indestructible ironing pad.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a method for making an ironing pad of the types herein described.

Fluther and additional objects of this invention will appear from the following description, the drawings and the appended claims.

Figure 1 illustrates a pad in the process ofconstruction in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, having a metal screen core wrapped with a metal wool ribbon;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3'3' of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a cross section of the pad of this invention inserted into a compacting press employed in the process of forming the completed pad;

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3 during the pressing operation;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the completed pad shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 illustrates a pad of this invention installed on a conventional ironing press;

Fig. 7 illustrates a pad in the process of .construction wherein a plurality of layers of woven wire mesh are applied to a suitable core as will hereinafter be described;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8'-8' of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the completed pad shown in Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a strip of metallic wool ribbon that may be employed inthe construction of an ironing pad in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a portion of a noncorrosive metal woven wire mesh ribbon which may also be employed for constructing an ironing pad in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of a modified apparatus that may be used in forming ironing pads such as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

The ironing pad of this invention comprises a mass of metal fabric material such as woven metal mesh or metal wool ribbon which has been wrapped around a central axis or a plane and hasbeen subjected to a high pressure in such a manner that the edges of the pad so formed remain in compressed state and the central portion remains highly resilient.

Inorder that a more complete understanding may be had of this invention, reference will now be had to the drawings. In accordance with one modification, a steel wool ribbon I, having fibers arranged generally, may be wrapped transversely around a core of suitable heat-resisting material 2, such as metal screening, asbestos or other suitable heat-resistant materials. The core 2 is preferably formed in substantially the same shape, although smaller than the intended shape and size of the finished pad. Thus, when the steel wool ribbon I is wrapped around the core,. the resulting loose pad 3 will have the same general shape as the completed article.

The metal wool ribbon I may be wound around the core to provide only a single thickness of ribbonv or a plurality of thicknesses, depending upon the type of pad desired. The pad resulting from the wrapping operation may have a cross section, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, with the individual metal strands of the ribbon at the sides 4 running at substantially right angles to the strands of the central part 5. The shape of the cross section may vary, depending upon the amount of ribbon used for wrapping and the shape and width of the core over which the ribbon is wrapped.

' The loose pad resulting from the wrappi of the steel wool ribbon I about the core 2 may t cutting a suitable heat resistant core to substantially the shape desired inthe final pad. A layer of relatively coarse steel wool ribbon or woven metal is wound transversely over the screen The resulting mass may then be subjected to pressure in order to obtain the desired a binding around the edges of the resulting mass. While other pressures may be used it has been found that from 60. to 100 pounds per square inch gives satisfactory results. A layer of finer steel wool ribbon or woven metal is subsequently wound over the pressed mass and the resulting pad is again subjected to pressure as before.

' Over the two layers may then be transversely lel tothe bottom of the recession I. Suitable 7 pressures may be from 150 pounds to 450 pounds per squareinch, although other pressures may be employed. The pressure may depend to a large degree on the metal from which the wool is prepared, the coarsenms of the individual strands, and the thickness of the pad. It is usually not necessary to continue this pressure for any considerable length of time, but it is sufficient to release it as soon. as it has reached the desired maximum. V

The pressing operation serves to compact and density the steel wool at. the edges of the pad to a far greater extent than the steel wool intermediate of the edges. This maybe due to the fact that the fibers are more concentrated at the sides .4 and also because the fibers are substantially at right angles to the pressing surwound a layer of 'metallic wool ribbon or woven metal mesh and theproduct again subjected to the pressure treatment which is preferably higher than that previously used. The pad resulting from this process, therefore, comprises a plurality of built-up. layers oi metallic fabric -material.

.The type of pad formed from noncorros'ive metal such as the woven fabric is preferred in pads intended tobe used in dry cleaning presses. As steam is forced through the pad and article being pressed and is thereafter removed therefrom by suction, it is desirable to supply some meansv to prevent the escape of steam, or the passage of air through the sides of the pad. For this purpose edging material is preferably employed. I

After the desired placed about the core and pressed, the edging face. Thus, when the pressure is released, the

edges of the pad have a tendency to remain in.- compacted state, thereby acting as a suitable binding for the edges of the pad, and no further binding is necessary in order to prevent the pad from unraveling or becoming misshapen; .The central portion of the pad, however, even after pressing. tends to spring back and remains highly rnilient as shown in Fig. 5.

material II is applied as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. This may be made of asbestos, metal or other suitable material. It is arranged on the pad with amarginal portion 12 on top of the pad adjacent the edges thereof and then extends down over the edges and projects therebelow forming a sldrt or apron which, when the pad is'mounted on the buck of a pressing machine, overlies The finished pad may be attached to an ironing press I 0 as shown in Fig. 6 in any desired fashion. A piece of felt or fabric 9 maybe applied over the pad 3 on the press Ill. The iron- 7 ing pad prepared in accordance with this invention is thus extremely resilient and may be easily and inexpensively prepared. It is readily imstalled on ordinary ironing presses and will last for a longtime under continued use.

It is not necessary that the metal wool fibers be wrapped around a central core such as a metal screen as illustratedin the foregoing embodiment of this invention. The core may be omitted if desired and the steel wool ribbon may be wrapped around on itself to form a pad,'which, after compacting will have the desired shape.

If desired, a woven metal mesh ribbon, such as is indicated in Fig. 11, may be employed instead of the metal woolribbon shown in Fig. 10 and described above. The metal mesh is preferably prepared from Monel metal wire strands or other non-corrosive metallic substances. It may be employed to form a pad in the same manner as described above for the preparation of a. metal wool pad. The edges of the padconstructed from thistype of material are thus bound by suitable pressing as herein-before described.

The ribbon of metal wool or woven metal fabric may also be applied to the core in el series of successive layers, the pad being compacted in the manner described above after the application of each layer. In accordance with one pre-- ferred embodiment, the pad may be formed by the sides of the buck.

It is. desirable that the marginal portions I! of the edging material ll shall be approximately coplanar with the upper surface of the pad so as to eliminate any abrupt shoulders in the pressing surface. Accordingly, in this embodiment of my invention, the edges of the pad to be engaged by the edging material are subjected to a higher degree of compacting than in the embodiment heretofore described, in order to form bevels or recesses along the edges of the pad in which the portions l2 of the edging material-may lie. I

This increased compacting or beveling of the pad edges may effectively be accomplished by inserting in a die member, similar to the lower die G of Figs. 3 and 4, a beveled or wedge-shaped ring I 4 which extends entirely around the die in the comers thereof, as shown in Fig. 12. Thus, when a pad is inserted in the die 6 of Fig. 12, and a plunger similar to the plunger 8 of Figs. 3 and 4 is brought down upon the pad until the maximum pressure is reached, the ring I4 serves to compact or bevel the edges of the pad as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The pads constructed in accordance with any of the proposed methods indicated above may be mounted on an ironing press such as shown in Fig. 6. It is not necessary that extraneous stitching or binding meansbe employed to hold thepads in shape, since the edges are tightly pressed or crimped by the high pressures in the manner previously indicated.

When several embodiments of this invention number of layers have been I are shown above, it will be understood, of course,

that the invention is not to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

The present application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 210,570, filed May 28, 1938.

Iclaim:

1. A shaped pad for an ironing press comprising a spirally wrapped ribbon of woven metal mesh fabric extending transversely around said pad and forming a major portion of the body of said pad.

2. A pad for an ironing press comprising a substantially spirally wrapped ribbon of metal fabric extending transversely around said pad and forming a major portion of the body of said pad, the peripheral edges of said pad being compremed to form a binding for said pad and the center of said pad being comparatively highly resilient.

3. A substantially resilient pad comprising predominantly a mass of spirally arranged substantially unidirectlonally extending metal wool fibers, the edges of said pad being bound by a substantially nonresilient compressed mass of said fibers.

4. A flattened pad for an ironing press comprising a plurality of layers of substantially spirally wrapped ribbons of metal fabric extending transversely around said pad in substantially the same direction and forming a major portion of the body of said pad, the peripheral edges of said flattened pad being bound by a substantially nonresilient compressed mass of said metal ribbons.

5. A substantially flat resilient pad comprising a mass of substantially unidirectionally wound ribbons of metal fabric extending transversely around a substantially flat core, the peripheral edges of said flattened pad being bound by a substantially nonresilient compressed mass of said ribbons, said ribbons forming a major portion of the body of said pad.

6. A substantially flat resilient pad comprising a mass of substantially unidirection-ally extendins metal wool fibers extending transversely around a core, the edges of said pad being bound by a substantially nonresilient compressed mass of said fibers, said fibers forming a major portion of the body of said pad.

7. -A substantially flat resilient pad comprising a ribbon of woven noncorrosive metal mesh extending transversely around a substantially flat metal screen core, said ribbon forming a major portion of the body of said pad and the edges of said pad being bound by a substantially nonresilient compremed mass of said ribbon.

8. A substantially flat resilient pad comprising a mass of substantially unidirectionally wound ribbons of metal fabric extending transversely crowd a substantially flat core, the peripheral edges of said flattened pad being bound by a substantially nonresilient compressed mass of said ribbons, said ribbons forming a major portion of the body of said pad, and a covering member comprises wrapping a ribbon of metal fabric in 1 substantially one direction about a core, subj ecting the resulting mass to a pressure sufflcient to permanently compact the edges of the mass without substantially decreasing the resiliency of the central portion of the mass, said mass of wrapped ribbon constituting a major portion of the resultant pad.

10. The method described in claim 9 wherein the metal fabric ribbon comprises steel wool fibers.

11. The method described in claim 9 wherein the metal fabric ribbon comprises substantially noncorrosive woven metal mesh.

12. A method of forming a resilient ironing pad which comprises, spirally wrapping a ribbon of metal fabric to form a continuous substantially :fiattened elongated mass, subjecting the resulting mass while confining the edges thereof to a pressure suflicient to permanently compact the edges of the formed mass but without substantially decreasing the resiliency of the central portion of the mass,.said mass of wrapped ribbon constituting a major portion of the pad.

13. The method of producing a resilient pad which comprises forming a substantially flat core having a somewhat smaller contour than that of the desired pad, winding a ribbon of metal fabric spirally about said core to form a layer of ribbon substantially completely covering said core, subjecting the resulting mass to pressure while confining the edges thereof whereby the edges are permanently compressed but the center portion retains its resiliency, subsequently winding in substantially the same direction a second layer of ribbon of metal fabric around the compressed mass. and again subjecting the mass to suflicient pressure while confining the edges thereof, to permanently compact the edges of the pad, whereby the edges of the final pad become bound by the compressed metal and the central portion retains its resilient characteristics.

14. The method of producing a resilient pad which comprises forming a substantially flat core having a somewhat smaller contour than that of the desired pad, winding a ribbon of metal fabric spirally about said core to form a layer of ribbon substantially completely covering said core, subjecting the resulting mass to pressure while confining the edges thereof whereby the edges are permanently compressed but the center portion retains its resiliency, subsequently winding in substantially the same direction a second layer of ribbon of metal fabric around the compressed mass, again subjecting the mass to sufilcient pressure while confining the edges thereof, to permanently compact the edges of the pad, whereby the edges of the final pad become bound by the compressed metal and the central portion retains its resilient characteristics, and securing a covering member over said edges and extending therebelow. V

415. A shaped pad for an ironing press comprising a spirally wrapped ribbon of woven metal mesh fabric extending transversely around said pad and forming a major portion of the body of said pad, the peripheral edges of said pad being compressed to form a binding therefor and the center of said pad being comparatively highly overlying the edges of said pad and extending 7o resilient.

therebelow.

9. A method of forming a resilient pad which MORRIS 

